Toy eye with changeable pupil thereof

ABSTRACT

A toy eye includes a front cover, a rear cover and an iris assembly. The front cover defines a first through hole. The rear cover is coupled to the front cover to cooperatively define a receiving cavity. The iris assembly is received in the receiving cavity and includes a fixed supporting portion, an elastic pupil portion, a metallic body and an electromagnet. The supporting portion defines a second through hole. The pupil portion is attached to the supporting portion. The metallic body is fixed to the pupil portion and runs through the second through hole. The electromagnet is fixed to the rear cover and aligned with the metallic body.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to toys, and particularly, to a toy eye with a changeable pupil.

2. Description of the Related Art

Over the years, various-type toy eyes have been developed for use in all kinds of toys, such as dolls and toy animals. One goal of toy eyes is to achieve a realistic expression of the toy eyes. Such realistic expression may be achieved by changing a size of a pupil of the eye.

Therefore, what is needed is a toy eye with a changeable pupil thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a toy eye according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an exploded front view of the toy eye of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged rear view of a front cover of the toy eye of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an exploded, isometric view of a toy eye according to another exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an exploded front view of a front cover of the toy eye of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-2, a toy eye 10 for use in a toy (not shown) includes a front cover 110, a rear cover 120 which is fixed to the front cover 110 to cooperatively form a receiving cavity 130, and an iris assembly 140 received in the receiving cavity 130.

Referring to FIGS. 2-3, the front cover 110 includes a front portion 112 and a first sidewall 114 extending from the front portion 112 towards the rear cover 120. The front portion 112 defines a first through hole 113. Three screw holders 116 are formed on an internal surface 114 a of the first sidewall 114 and are substantially equidistant from each other around the first through hole 113. Four hollow cylinders 118 are formed on the internal surface 114 a of the first sidewall 114 and are substantially equidistant from each other around the first through hole 113. A distance between the screw holders 116 and the center of the first through hole 113 and a distance between the hollow cylinders 118 and the center of the first through hole 113 are different.

The rear cover 120 includes a rear portion 122 and a second sidewall 124 perpendicularly extending from the rear portion 122 towards the front cover 110. The rear portion 122 defines three rear through holes 126 corresponding to the three screw holders 116 respectively. The second sidewall 124 has a shape and a size matching the first sidewall 114. The toy eye 10 further includes three screws 160, the screws 160 are configured to pass through the rear through holes 126 and engage in the screw holders 116 correspondingly so that the rear cover 120 can be fixedly attached to the front cover 110. The number of the screws 160, the number of the rear through holes 126, and the number of the screw holders 116 may be two, four, or five etc.

The iris assembly 140 includes a substantially-annular pupil portion 142, an iris portion 144 surrounding the pupil portion 142, a cylindrical metallic body 146 fixed to the pupil portion 142, a supporting portion 148, and an electromagnet 149. The pupil portion 142 is a black elastic film.

The iris portion 144 is made from an elastic material and may be colored to resemble a real eye. The iris portion 144 is integrally formed with the pupil portion 142 to cooperatively define a smooth front surface 143 a and a smooth rear surface 143 b on the other side of the iris portion 144 opposite to the front surface 143 a.

The metallic body 146 is attached to the rear surface 143 b of the pupil portion 142 and includes a closed end 146 a. The closed end 146 a is close to the rear cover 120 after the iris assembly 140 is received in the receiving cavity 130.

The supporting portion 148 is circular and defines a second through hole 145 corresponding to the metallic body 146. Four poles 147 are formed on the supporting portion 148 with distal ends facing the pupil portion 142. The four poles 147 are substantially equidistant from each other around the second through hole 145.

The electromagnet 149 is fixed to the rear portion 122 by glue and is electrically connected to a power source (not shown) in the toy (not shown) by wires (not shown).

The pupil portion 142 and the iris portion 144 are attached to a surface of the supporting portion 148 where the four poles 147 are formed. The closed end 146 a passes through the second through hole 145 and is aligned with the electromagnet 149. The supporting portion 148 is connected to the front cover 110 by plugging the poles 147 into the hollow cylinders 118 correspondingly by a tight fit. The pupil portion 142 and the iris portion 144 are exposed through the first through hole 113. The number of the hollow cylinders 118 and the number of the poles 147 may be two, four, or five etc.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, when the electromagnet 149 is activated by electrical energy from the power source through the wires, the electromagnet 149 produces a magnetic field. The metallic body 146 is pulled by the electromagnet 149 due to the existence of the magnetic field. Therefore, the pupil portion 144 is stretched by the metallic body 146. As a result, the size of the pupil portion 144 is changed. Furthermore, when an intensity of the magnetic field is increased or decreased by changing an intensity of the electric energy, the pupil portion 144 deforms relative to the varying degree of the magnetic field accordingly.

Referring to FIGS. 4-5, a toy eye 20 according to another embodiment is shown. The differences between the toy eye 20 of this embodiment and the toy eye 10 are as the following: the screw holders 226 are formed on the rear portion 222, and three front through holes 216 are defined on the first sidewall 214; the four poles 218 are formed on the internal surface 214 a of the first sidewall 214, and the four hollow cylinders 247 are formed on a surface of the supporting portion 248 facing the four poles 218. The screws 260 pass through the front through holes 216 and engage in the screw holders 226 correspondingly so that the front cover 210 is assembled with the rear cover 220. The supporting portion 248 is connected to the front cover 210 by plugging the poles 218 into the hollow cylinders 247 correspondingly by a tight fit.

The advantages of the toy eye 20 of this embodiment is similar to that of the toy eye 10.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. A toy eye comprising: a front cover defining a first through hole; a rear cover coupled to the front cover to cooperatively define a receiving cavity; and an iris assembly received in the receiving cavity and comprising: a fixed supporting portion defining a second through hole; an elastic pupil portion attached to the supporting portion; a metallic body fixed to the elastic pupil portion and running through the second through hole; and an electromagnet fixed to the rear cover and aligned with the metallic body; wherein the electromagnet is activated and produces a magnetic field, the metallic body is pulled by the electromagnet due to the existence of the magnetic field, the pupil portion is stretched by the metallic body and the size of the pupil portion is changed.
 2. The toy eye as claimed in claim 1, wherein the iris assembly further comprises an elastic iris portion surrounding the pupil portion, the iris portion and the pupil portion are supported by the supporting portion.
 3. The toy eye as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front cover comprises a front portion and a first sidewall extending from the front portion, the rear cover comprises a rear portion and a second sidewall extending from the rear portion, the first sidewall has a shape and a size matching the second sidewall, the electromagnetic is attached to the rear portion by glue.
 4. The toy eye as claimed in claim 3, wherein the toy eye further comprises at least two screws, at least two screw holders are formed on the internal surface of the first sidewall corresponding to the at least two screws, at least two rear through holes are defined on the rear portion of the rear cover corresponding to the at least two screw holders, the rear cover is assembled to the front cover by the screws passing through the rear through holes and the screw holders.
 5. The toy eye as claimed in claim 3, wherein the toy eye further comprises at least two screws, at least two screw holders are formed on the rear portion of the rear cover corresponding to the at least two screws, at least two front through holes are defined on the first sidewall corresponding to the at least two screw holders, the front cover is assembled to the rear cover by the screws passing through the front through holes and the screw holders.
 6. The toy eye as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pupil portion and the iris portion are attached to the supporting portion by glue.
 7. The toy eye as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pupil portion is a black, elastic film.
 8. The toy eye as claimed in claim 2, wherein the iris portion is made from an elastic material.
 9. The toy eye as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two hollow cylinders are formed on the internal surface of the first sidewall, at least two posts are formed on the supporting portion corresponding to the at least two hollow cylinders, the iris assembly is connected to the front cover by plugging the posts into the hollow cylinders.
 10. The toy eye as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two hollow cylinders are formed on the supporting portion, at least two posts are formed on the internal surface of the first sidewall corresponding to the at least two hollow cylinders, the iris assembly is connected to the front cover by plugging the posts into the hollow cylinders. 